Lavar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb lavar means to wash, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Lavar means to wash, and it is the non-reflexive partner of lavarse: you wash something else — la ropa, los platos, el coche, las verduras. It is one of the most useful household verbs, and it is fully regular, so it is a good verb for practising the -ar endings. Like every Spanish verb, lavar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say lavo la ropa los lunes, and in the preterite you say lavé el coche el sábado. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: lavar
- English: to wash
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: lavando
- Past participle: lavado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + lavado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for lavar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Lavar washes something else; lavarse washes yourself. Lavo el coche, but me lavo las manos.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for lavar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | lavo |
| tú | lavas |
| él/ella/Ud. | lava |
| nosotros/as | lavamos |
| vosotros/as | laváis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | lavan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | lavé |
| tú | lavaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | lavó |
| nosotros/as | lavamos |
| vosotros/as | lavasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | lavaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | lavaba |
| tú | lavabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | lavaba |
| nosotros/as | lavábamos |
| vosotros/as | lavabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | lavaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | lavaré |
| tú | lavarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | lavará |
| nosotros/as | lavaremos |
| vosotros/as | lavaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | lavarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | lavaría |
| tú | lavarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | lavaría |
| nosotros/as | lavaríamos |
| vosotros/as | lavaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | lavarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he lavado |
| tú | has lavado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha lavado |
| nosotros/as | hemos lavado |
| vosotros/as | habéis lavado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han lavado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había lavado |
| tú | habías lavado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había lavado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos lavado |
| vosotros/as | habíais lavado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían lavado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré lavado |
| tú | habrás lavado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá lavado |
| nosotros/as | habremos lavado |
| vosotros/as | habréis lavado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán lavado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría lavado |
| tú | habrías lavado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría lavado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos lavado |
| vosotros/as | habríais lavado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían lavado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | lave |
| tú | laves |
| él/ella/Ud. | lave |
| nosotros/as | lavemos |
| vosotros/as | lavéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | laven |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | lavara |
| tú | lavaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | lavara |
| nosotros/as | laváramos |
| vosotros/as | lavarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | lavaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | lava |
| él/ella/Ud. | lave |
| nosotros/as | lavemos |
| vosotros/as | lavad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | laven |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | laves |
| él/ella/Ud. | lave |
| nosotros/as | lavemos |
| vosotros/as | lavéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | laven |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | lavando | with estar for the progressive: estoy lavando |
| Past participle | lavado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he lavado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For lavar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Lavo la ropa los lunes. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For lavar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, lavé los platos después de cenar. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For lavar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, lavaba el coche el sábado. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For lavar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, lavaré las verduras antes de cocinar. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For lavar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Lavaría la ropa los lunes si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For lavar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he lavado los platos después de cenar. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For lavar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había lavado el coche el sábado antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For lavar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré lavado las verduras antes de cocinar. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For lavar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría lavado la ropa los lunes con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For lavar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él lave los platos después de cenar. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For lavar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él lavara el coche el sábado, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For lavar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Lava las verduras antes de cocinar! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For lavar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No laves la ropa los lunes. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with lavar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Lavo la ropa los lunes. — I wash the clothes on Mondays.
- Lava los platos después de cenar. — He/she washes the dishes after dinner.
- Ayer, lavé el coche el sábado. — Yesterday, I washed the car on Saturdays.
- Antes, nosotros lavábamos las verduras antes de cocinar. — Before, we used to wash the vegetables before cooking.
- Mañana, tú lavarás la ropa los lunes. — Tomorrow, you will wash the clothes on Mondays.
- Yo lavaría los platos después de cenar si tuviera más tiempo. — I would wash the dishes after dinner if I had more time.
- Él ha lavado el coche el sábado. — He has washed the car on Saturdays.
- Espero que él lave las verduras antes de cocinar. — I hope he washes the vegetables before cooking.
- Yo ya había lavado la ropa los lunes antes de salir. — I had already washed the clothes on Mondays before leaving.
- Ellos lavaban los platos después de cenar cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to wash the dishes after dinner when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo me lavo el coche el sábado. — Right: Yo lavo el coche el sábado. — Lavar washes something else, so it takes no reflexive pronoun. Me lavo would mean washing yourself, not the car.
- Wrong: Ayer yo lavo los platos después de cenar. — Right: Ayer yo lavé los platos después de cenar. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: lavo is happening now, while lavé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating lavar and lavarse as identical in every context. — Right: Lavar means to wash, while lavarse means to wash yourself. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: lavar fits sentences such as Lavo la ropa los lunes, while lavarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy lavado los platos después de cenar. — Right: Yo he lavado los platos después de cenar. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he lavado, has lavado, ha lavado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo lavé el coche el sábado todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo lavaba el coche el sábado todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (lavaba), not the preterite. The preterite (lavé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on lavar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la ropa los lunes. (present tense) A. lavo B. lavas C. lava D. lavamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ los platos después de cenar. (preterite) A. lavé B. lavaste C. lavaron D. lavó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el coche el sábado. (imperfect) A. lavabas B. lavaban C. lavábamos D. lavaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ las verduras antes de cocinar. (future) A. lavaremos B. lavarás C. lavaré D. lavará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la ropa los lunes si pudiera. (conditional) A. lavaría B. lavarías C. lavarían D. lavo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ los platos después de cenar. (present subjunctive) A. laves B. lavemos C. lavo D. lave
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el coche el sábado, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. laváramos B. lavo C. lavara D. lavaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ las verduras antes de cocinar. (present perfect) A. han lavado B. hemos lavado C. he lavado D. has lavado
Complete the command: ¡___ la ropa los lunes! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. lava B. lave C. lavemos D. lavad
Which is the gerund of lavar, used with estar for the progressive? A. lavado B. lavo C. lavé D. lavando
Answer key
- lavo — The first-person present of lavar is lavo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- lavó — The third-person preterite of lavar is lavó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- lavábamos — The nosotros imperfect of lavar is lavábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- lavarás — The second-person future of lavar is lavarás.
- lavaría — The first-person conditional of lavar is lavaría, the form for what would happen.
- lave — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of lavar is lave.
- lavara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of lavar is lavara.
- hemos lavado — The nosotros present perfect of lavar is hemos lavado: hemos + lavado.
- lava — The affirmative tú imperative of lavar is lava.
- lavando — The gerund of lavar is lavando: estoy lavando. The participle lavado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does lavar mean in English?
Lavar means to wash. It is used in everyday situations such as Lavo la ropa los lunes. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is lavar regular or irregular?
Lavar is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including lavo in the present and lavé in the preterite.
What is the difference between lavar and lavarse?
Lavar means to wash, while lavarse means to wash yourself. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use lavar when you mean to wash, as in Lavo la ropa los lunes, and use lavarse for to wash yourself. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I wash” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo lavé los platos después de cenar. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo lavaba el coche el sábado. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he lavado los platos después de cenar.
How do I practise lavar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the lavar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Lavar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for lavar.
- Lavar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for lavar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Pintar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with lavar.
- Planchar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with lavar.
- Dibujar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with lavar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.